Clutch mechanism



uw m m 1 L Nm.. m w w w wk W m L mp. wm m n l l... ,vvd Y A ||||||H BMII nl.. HW vm April 28, 1931. R. PLUMLEY CLUTCH MECHANISM Original Filed May 19, 1927 Patented Apr. 28, 1931 unire sTATEs PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND L. PLUMLEY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '1.0V FREDERICK OSANN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CLUTCH MECHANISM Origin-a1 application filed May 19,1927, `Serial No. 192,698. Divided and this application filed August 2,

y 1929. Serial The general object of my present invention is to provide an improved clutch mechanism adapted for use in imparting successive angular movements in the same direction to a rotatable part, and primarily devised for use in intermittently rotating the feed disc of an overseaming sewing machine capable of operation at relatively high speeds. My improved clutch mechanism is characterized by its mechanical reliability and the effectiveness for the use specified and for analogous purposes.

The various features of novelty `which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims anneXed vto and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it reference should be had to the accompanying drawing `and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Of the drawing Fig. 1 is an elevation in section;

Fig. 2 is an elevation taken similarly to Fig. 1 but on a larger scale and partly broken away, and showing aportion only of thev apparatus .shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the broken line 8-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a'portion of the with parts broken away and in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated the use of the present invention in a sewing machine for overseaming shown and described herein in part only but more fully disclosed in, and the novel features of which are claimed in, my prior application Serial No. 192,698, filed May 19, 1927, of which the present application isa division.

The sewing machine shown in part by the. comprises a vertical feed.

drawing herein, shaft B journalled in upper and lower bearings A4 and A5 formed in thevmachine'housing A. The shaft B carries a feed disc C at its upper action with a second feed disc C frictionally driven by the disc C, the work gripped between the two feed` discs will be intermittentend which is intermittently ro- Y tated as hereinafter described, so that in comy said prior application.

Secured to the shaft 'B is a gear B2, the peripheral teeth of which are in mesh with the teeth of a crown gear D secured to a horizontal shaft D suitably ournalled in the machine housing. Preferably the teeth on the gears B2 and D are of such character that when the gear D is rotated in the counterclockwise direction as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the feed disc C is rotated in the work advancingrotation, but the gear B2 is incapable of rotating the gear D in either direction. To this end the gears B2 and D may be identical with the similarly-designated gears of my prior Patent No. 897,846.

The gear D is given intermittent rotative movements in the counter-clockwise direction by an oscillating actuating lever E and associated novel clutch provisions, now to be described, by means of which the lever E is locked to the gear Divhen the lever E is turned in the counter-clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1, and is released from the gear D when turned in the opposite direction. .The lever E is formed with an aperture E through 1 which the shaft D? passes. The aperture E is elongated in a direction transverse to the length of the lever E to permit some corresponding transverse play of the lever. relative to the shaft D. Associated with the lever E are two clutch parts ca and @a2 arranged one below the other above the lever.` Each of the two clutch parts is formed at its opposite ends with lindrical bearing surfaces e3 which fit against the inner wall of a cylindrical flange D4 formed at the front side of the gear D, as viewed in Figs. l and 2.V l y The lever E is formed with cam-like projecting portions E2 and E3 at its lower and upper sides, respectively, which engage bearspaced apart cying surfaces formed on the members ea and ce2, respectively. rThe cam portions E2 and E3 are diametrically opposed to one another, the cam E2 being to the left and the cam E3 to the lright of a vertical plane including the axis of the gear D and transverse to the length of the members ea and 6&2. A compression spring e? acts between the lever E and the right end o f the member ea as seen in Fig. 2, and a similar compression spring c acts between the other end of the member @a2 and the lever E. A spring cAL acts between the left hand end ofY thepart ea', as seen in Fig. 2, and a lug or linger e carried by the lever E, in a. direction tending to turn the member ea about the axis of the gear D in the clockwise direction when the lever E is turned in the clockwise direction, and a similar spring et acts similarly between the right hand end of the member @a2 and a lug or shoulder c2 carried by the lever E. As shown, the lugs c and e2 are integral portions of a part e rigidly secured to the member E. y

lV hen force is applied to the outer end of the lever member E to turn the latter in the counter-clockwise direction, the cam portions E2 and E3 tend to spread the members ea and @a2 apart and this creates a frictional engagement between the surfaces e3 of the members ea and @a2 and the inner wall of the flange 'D4 which prevents movement of the members ea and @a2 relative to the'gear D. The lever member E is thus locked to the gear D so that the latter shares the counter-clockwise turning movement of the lever E. The springs e5 contribute to the operation just described by normally holding the corresponding ends of the members ea and @a2 snugly in contact with the flange D4 so that there is practically no lost motion to be overcome lwhen the initial spreading` apart of the members ea and @a2 occurs. lVhen the movement of the lever E is reversed, the cam portions E2 and E3 cease to press the members ea and @a2 apart, and the springs e4 and e5, acting on the ends of the members ea and (12, then cause the latter to turn about the axisv of the member D with the lever E. As shown, the lever E is formed with a slot or groove E5 in its rear side loosely receiving the flange D4, but there is no operative engagement of the walls of the slot with the flange. ,Y l

Asa safeguard against any tendency of the gear D to rotate in the clockwise direction, 'as a result of lost motion or otherwise, I advantageou'sly provide a suitable locking dey in one s idev which receives the flange D4.'

vice or brake.` This, as shown, is in the form of a bar eb formed witha slot or groove el@ The outer end of the' bar eb bears against a A11 V carried by the machinewhousing and a Spring @e tends' t@ hola the brake in" al@ position shown in Figsl and 2 in which the walls of the slot or groove engage the inner and stop outer walls of the flange D4 so as to positively hold the gear D against rotation in the clockwise direction. The spring en yields to permit the slight turning movement of the bar e?) necessary to permit the flange D4E to move freely in the slot or groove 610, when the gear D is rotating in the counter-clockwise direction.

The outer end of the member 'E is connected by a pivot pin E6 to a lever F. The lever F is pivotally connected to the housing A through a fulcrum part F passing through a longitudinal slot F2 in the leverl", and having a threaded extension which passes through a horizontal slot AS in the housing A and may be clampedin any desired position in said slot by a nut F2. The end of the lever F opposite to that connected to the member E is pivotally connected by a pivot pin G to a link Gr, the upper end of which forms an'A eccentricv strap portion G12 surrounding an eccentric disc H secured to the main driving shaft H of the sewing machine.

The invention possesses various advantages, and in particular is characterized by its effectiveness and by its positive action and the avoidance of lost motion or overtravel in the operation of the gear D at relatively high speeds.

1While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I have illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of my invention now known to me", it will be apparent to those skilled in theV art thatv changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the'spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims-and that in some cases certainfeatures of my invention may be usedrto advantage without a corresponding use of other features. i

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is zl. A shaft and means for giving repeated angular movements in the same direction to said shaft comprising avmember carried by thershaft and provided with a hollow cylindrical portion coaxial with the shaft, a pair ofsegme'ntal lparts located on opposite sides of the axis of said shaft and engaging the inner surface of said cylindrical portion, a lever loosely ymounted on said shaft with capacity for lost motionrelative tothe shaft yin a. direction toward and away from said parts, and means carried by said lever en- Y gaging, and tending to spread apart said segmental parts when the lever is turned in one direction, said parts having a limited movement of vapproach when the lever is turned in the opposite direction.

2. A shaft and means for giving repeated angular movements in thev same direction to said shaft comprising a member carried by the shaft andlprovided with a hollow cylindrical portion coaxial with the shaft, a pair of segmental parts located on opposite sides of the aXis of said shaft and engaging the inner surface of said cylindrical portion, a lever loosely mounted on said shaft with 5 capacity for lost motion relative to the shaft in a direction toward and away from said parts, means carried by said lever engaging, and tending to spread apart said segmental parts when the lever is turned in one direc- 10 tion, said parts having a limited movement of approach when the lever is turned in the opposite direction, and resilient means acting between said lever and said parts and tending at all times to spread said members l5 apart, and tending to cause said parts yto move angularly with said lever when the latter is turned in said opposite direction.

3. In a sewing machine work feed, the combination with a shaft, of means for giving 23 successive angular movements in the same direction to said shaft comprising a. gear carried by said shaft and having a hollow cylindrical portion coaxial therewith, a pair of segmental clutch parts located on opposite 5 sides of the aXis of said shaft and arranged to fit against the inner surface of said cylindrical portion, an actuating lever loosely mounted on said shaft and capable of lost motion relative thereto in a direction toward 3;) and away from said clutch parts, spring members arranged between said lever and said clutch parts and holding said clutch parts at all times in Contact with said cylindrical portion, cam means carried by said lever ar- 35 ranged to engage and spread apart said clutch parts when said lever is turned in one direction, and other spring members arranged between said lever and said clutch parts causing said clutch parts to move angularly with said lever relative to said cylindrical portion when said lever is turned in the opposite direction.

Signed at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and tate of New York this 31st day of July, 5 A. D. 1929.

RAYMOND L. PLUMLEY. 

